Assig-nor to



J.-W. RBINHART. Switch-Lock.

Patented Mar. 30,1880.

mm. P OT0-UT OGRA ER WASHI IJMTED STATES JOSEPH W. REINHAR'I, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES MOHENRY REINHAR'I, OF SAME PLACE.

SWITCH-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,107, dated March 30, 1880.

Application filed July 31, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH W. REINHART, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan of my improved switch-lock; and Fig. 2, a similar view of the look, but with the cover removed to illustrate the arrangement and construction of parts. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section through the line no a of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a view, in perspective, of the cam segmental pinion that operates the lockbolt detached from the lock; and Fig. 5, a side elevation of the key that operates the lock.

My invention relates to a new and improved construction of automatic locks adapted to be applied to a double or three row switch-lever and stand.

The invention consists in a novel construction of parts, hereinafter to he described, by which, by a simple thrust movement of the key, the lock-bolt is withdrawn and the key held firmly in the lock until the lock-bolt has been automatically thrown out again to lock the lever to the stand, when, simultaneously therewith, the key is released and automatically pushed out from the lock.

To enable others skilled in the art to make, construct, and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its parts in detail, here remarking that I am aware that switch-locks have heretofore been made in which the key is held fast in the look, so that it cannot be removed while the lock-bolt is withdrawn from its locking-notch.

In the drawings, A represents a strong metal casing, inside of which are arranged the working parts of the lock, and of which to forms the cover. b I) I) represent the screws or rivets which secure the cover to the casing, and c c c the holes through which are passed the screws or bolts which secure the lock to the switchlever.

B represents the lock-bolt,.the outer end of which projects through and rests in a slot, 0, out in the end wall of the casing, and bears against a guideway, f, at one side, formed in the inner face of the casing. The front end of this bolt, on its upper and lower sides, is cut down for a distance equal to the length it is intended to be projected in and through the slot 6, leaving a shoulder above and another below, to arrest its further throw by coming in contact with the flange g, left 011 the under side of the cover a, and which forms the upper side of slot 6, and flange h, which forms the under side of the slot 6.

On the inner or rear end of look-bolt B is formed a tang, i, to receive one end of a spring, O, the rear end of which is arranged in a socket, 70, for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

On one side of the lock-bolt B, and extending from the under shoulder, h, to the rear end of the bolt, are cut a series of teeth, forming what may be termed a toothed rack, w, and for a height slightly greater than the thickness of the tubular cam-pinion D, shortly to be described, so that the remaining or uncut portion of the thickness of the bolt shall we ject over the ends of the teeth of said pinion, and thus tend to confine or keep the latter in its proper relative position, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The corresponding part in Fig. 2

is cut away to illustrate the meshing of the pinion with the rack and the action of the former upon the lock-bolt.

D represents a pinion or segment of a pinion made fast to or otherwise cast in one piece with a tubular stem or sleeve, m, of a length sufficient to project for some distance beyond the general surface of the cover a, but to receive and protect which the latter is formed with a hollow protuberance as a cover, 1, for said sleeve m.

Sleeve m is provided on diametrically opposite sides with a cam-groove, a, each running in an opposite direction to the other, and in the manner of a long spiral, or with a pitch of about thirty or forty degrees, both being of precisely the same pitch, andextending down or nearly down to the pinion. This pinion D andits sleeve at its lowerend are strongly fitted over a short stud, 0, cast on or otherwise secured to the inner face of the bottom of the lock-casing, and which forms the axes on which pinion D turns.

In the center of stud 0 is securely erected a stout stud-pin, p, which forms the guide-stein of the barrel ofthe key, shortly to be described. Over stud pin p is arranged aspiral spring, q, the lower end of which rests upon the axial stud 0, and which carries at its upper end a loose washer, 1", as a movable bearing for the lower end of the barrel of the key.

The cap or cover I of the upper end of the cam-sleeved pinion D, formed on the cover a of the lock, is provided with an opening, it, for the key, and has two slots, 8, on diametrically-opposite sides to receive the operatingprojections 25 on the lower end of the key E. (See Fig. 5.) The central or circular part of the key-opening should be barely large enough to receive the key freely, so that the slots will form guides for the flanges v, formed-on the same sides and as continuations of the projections 15, only that they areuot made to project as far from the barrel, being limited in their projection to the interior diameter of the sleeve m, down within which they descend as the key is forced inward; but as the internal diameter considerably exceeds the diameter of the opening for the barrel of the key, this allows the flanges v to project within the notches s of the key-opening, and enables the latter to steady the key and prevent it from turning as it is passed home to unlock the bolt, and hence, as the key is pushed in, its projections t t, engaging with the spiral slots at of the sleeve m of the pinion or segmental pinion D, cause the sleeve and pinion to turn, and, as the latter engages with the rack-teeth w on the side of the lock-bolt B, at the same time force back the latter and unlock the switch. Now, if the lock-bolt is held in its withdrawn position, as by a movement of the switch-lever beyond the notch in the switch-stand, which receives the bolt when the lever is locked to the stand, it will be apparent that the key cannot be withdrawn from the lock, first, because the key cannot turn in the lock because of its flanges v and the notches s in the key-opening of the lock-case; and, secondly, being thus kept from turning, and the sleeved pinion being also kept from turning because of the confined condition of the lock-bolt, the spiraled sides of the slots n of the sleeve projecting over the projections ttof the key effectually prevent the latter from being withdrawn, as it can only be withdrawn in a straight line. This proves a valuable aid to the switch attendant, as it enables him to know when the switch has been actually looked, as then only can the key be withdrawn.

The locking of the switch takes place auto matically, for as soon as the lock bolt is brought over the proper notch for its reception in the switch-stand then the spring 0, which has been compressed by the withdrawal of the bolt from the first notch in the switchstand, reacts and thrusts it out and into the next notch to relock the lever. This action of the lock-bolt has turned back the pinion and its slotted sleeve, and allows the key to be withdrawn. To aid this action the spring q, mounted on the stem 1), which forms the guide and lateral support for the barrel of the key, and which, as the key had been pressed home to withdraw the bolt 13, had been compressed, reacts simultaneously with the turning of the pinion D, and, through the washer r, automatically ejects or thrusts out the key, and thus enables the spiral spring 0 the more effectually to operate lock-bolt B and the locking of the switchlever.

In putting the working parts of the locktogether the spiral spring (1 may first be mounted on stem 1), followed by the sleeved pinion D and washer Z. This done, pinion D should be so held as to bring the two spiraled cam-slots n in a line with the notches s of the key-hole of the cover-plate Z a. bolt should be put in position with its rackteeth engaging with those of the pinion D in such manner that the outer end of the lockbolt should project as far as it is intended to do when locked. This done, spiral spring 0 is then put in position, one end over the tang of the lock-bolt and the other resting in its socket in the casing. This finished, the cover a is put in position and securely screwed down or otherwise fastened to the casing A, and the lock is then ready to be applied to a switchlever or to any other use of which it is suscep- -tible.

It is obvious that the position of the camslots n in the sleeve m with respect to each other may be varied, so long as the same angle is observed in the arrangements of the projections t on the keys, or even a single camslot, 02, and projection 25 on the key maybe used; but I prefer the use of two slots and two projections on the keys, as they operate more smoothly and evenly.

To keep snow, dust, and rain out of the keyopening, the latter is protected by a shieldplate, 00, which automatically, by its own gravity, drops down to cover the opening.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a pinion, D, having a cam-slotted sleeve, with a spring lock-bolt, B, provided with a series of teeth, w, on its side, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a pinion, D, having a cam-slotted sleeve, the stem 9 and spring q, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with a lock-bolt, B, having teeth 20 on its side, and a spring, 0, for operating the same, a pinion, D, having a cam-slotted sleeve, stem 9, and spring q, all operating substantially as set forth.

This done, the lock 4. In combination with a lock having a key- In testimony that I claim the foregoing I opening, it, provided with guide-notches s, and have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of July, a pinion, D, having a cam-slotted sleeve, stem 1879.

p, and spring (1, and aspring lock-bolt provided JOSEPH W. REINHART. 5 with rack-teeth w, a key provided with pro- Witnesses:

jections t and guide-flanges '12, substantially as F. B. BROGK,

set forth. H. A. HALL. 

